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Student Assessment

The Georgia Milestones Assessment System (Georgia Milestones) is a comprehensive summative assessment pro​gram spanning grades 3 through high school. Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted content standards in English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students in grades 3 through 8 take an end-of-grade assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics while students in grades 5 and 8 are also assessed in science and social studies. High school students take an end-of-course assessment for each of the courses designated by the State Board of Education. This Georgia Department of Education link provides resources for parents in English and Spanish, along with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding EOG/EOC assessments.

Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills 2.0

The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills 2.0 (GKIDS 2.0) is a progression-based formative assessment, integrated into classroom work, that is aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). GKIDS 2.0 is organized around big ideas and learning progressions. A big idea describes the integration of concepts and skills from the kindergarten standards that are most important for success in first grade. A learning progression shows where the student is in the learning continuum of content and reasoning development regarding the big idea from the GSE. Learning progressions provide the big picture of what is to be learned across the year, relate increased reasoning of standards within the grade and across grades, and support instructional planning. GKIDS 2.0 provides teachers with one source of real-time information to adjust instruction, by identifying what a student already knows, what the student needs next, and by allowing the teacher to monitor growth.

The GKIDS Readiness Check is an additional component of the GKIDS 2.0. It is designed to be administered during the first six weeks of the kindergarten year. The primary purpose of the GKIDS Readiness Check is to highlight knowledge and skills critical for student success in learning – solely to guide instruction. The GKIDS Readiness Check is designed to be developmentally appropriate, reflecting research-based best practices for young learners, and will provide information that allows kindergarten teachers to individualize student instruction.

Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State for English Language Learners 2.0 (ACCESS for ELLs 2.0)

ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is administered, annually, to all English learners in Georgia. ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English learners’ social and academic proficiency in English. It assesses social and instructional English as well as the language associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies within the school context across the four language domains. ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 meets the federal requirements that mandates require states to evaluate EL students in grades K through 12 on their progress in learning to speak English.

The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0

The Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) 2.0 is designed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities are provided access to the state academic content standards and given the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the knowledge, concepts, and skills inherent in the standards.​This assessment will provide meaningful information about classroom instruction and help identify students’ areas of strength and improvement through standardized tests. Unlike the original GAA, GAA 2.0 is not a portfolio-based assessment. The GAA 2.0 includes standardized items with multiple access points. Thus, it will measure students’ achievement and not progress. The GAA 2.0 is administered to all eligible students in the following areas:

Grades K, 3-8, and 11 will be assessed in English language arts and mathematics.

Grades 5, 8, and 11 will also be assessed in science and s​​ocial studies.